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About James Brandon Lewis

Album Review

The Messthetics: The Messthetics And James Brandon Lewis

Read "The Messthetics And James Brandon Lewis" reviewed by Chris May

by Chris May
June 6, 2024

There are few examples of ranking jazz saxophonists collaborating with rock bands, and even fewer that are as successful as this one featuring tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and the instrumental trio The Messthetics. One notable precedent is the partnership of Ethiopian tenor saxophonist Getatchew Mekurya with Dutch punk band The Ex, which exploded into life in concert and on record periodically between 2006 and 2012. In the mid-1950s, Mekurya, who wore a lion's mane headdress when appearing in Addis ...

Album Review

Dave Douglas: Gifts

by Mark Corroto
May 5, 2024

When does one become an elder statesman in jazz? Is it a function of age? Awards? Discography? While that question is up for debate, it is beyond doubt that Dave Douglas is an éminence grise, except one who definitely does not work behind the scenes. When did he achieve this status? Was it when he was awarded a Guggenheim? Or the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award? Maybe it was when he started the label Greenleaf Music. A better case can ...

Album Review

James Brandon Lewis: For Mahalia With Love (Expanded Edition)

Read "For Mahalia With Love (Expanded Edition)" reviewed by Stefano Merighi

by Stefano Merighi
April 22, 2024

La musica di James Brandon Lewis è potente, assertiva, trascinante. Ma rivela talvolta, sotto lo strato di forza, una sottile e affascinante vulnerabilità emotiva, che rende ancora più ricco il suo discorso compositivo e solistico. Come nel caso di questo scintillante omaggio al mondo espressivo di Mahalia Jackson, che si realizza attraverso memorie familiari, quelle della nonna che ha trasmesso a James questa passione tuttora bruciante. Lewis è una delle voci più convincenti del jazz contemporaneo che non ...

Album Review

Dave Douglas: Gifts

by Glenn Astarita
April 12, 2024

Dave Douglas' Gifts emerges not merely as a collection of tracks but as an opulent gala in honor of the eternal essence of music, welcoming audiences across the spectrum of generations to partake in its celebration. This project is akin to a masterfully blended concoction of shared human emotions and experiences, articulated through the universal dialect of melodies that defy time constraints. It is a sonic tour de force, intricately weaving together the threads of history, the present and what ...

Jazz Raconteurs

James Brandon Lewis: Jazz, Spirituality, and the Art and Science of Musical Abstraction

by Dave Kaufman
April 10, 2024

The contemporary jazz world is currently witnessing an artistic renaissance, characterized by an upsurge in creativity and innovation. This movement is fueled in part by rising stars such as Joel Ross, Immanuel Wilkins, and Isaiah Collier, as well as seasoned veterans like Charles Lloyd, David Murray, William Parker, Joe Lovano, and Bill Frisell, whose creative passion remains vibrant and fires undiminished decades into their career. However, much of the surge in innovation has been driven by artists who are entering ...

Album Review

Ches Smith: Laugh Ash

Read "Laugh Ash" reviewed by Glenn Astarita

by Glenn Astarita
March 19, 2024

Ches Smith's Laugh Ash is not your garden-variety jazz concoction. Instead, it is a genre-defying, shape-twisting auditory escapade that does not just push the envelope--it sends it soaring into the stratosphere. It is both bewildering and bedazzling. These compositions stand as a towering testament to Smith's impressive acumen as a drummer, percussionist, and composer, a veritable Houdini of the music world who escapes the shackles of convention to chart a mesmerizing course through uncharted musical terrains.Right from the ...

Radio & Podcasts

James Brandon Lewis, Federico Ughi, Matthew Shipp & Fall Raye

by Maurice Hogue
March 4, 2024

There are a lot of superlatives for the playing of saxophonist James Brandon Lewis floating about these days, and they're all well-deserved. JBL continues to make great music. His new Transfiguration with his quartet of Aruan Ortiz, Brad Jones & Chad Taylor--out on the Intakt label from Switzerland---keeps the momentum rolling. Mark this one down for another best-of. Drummer Federico Ughi is a principal owner at 577 Records, and his new Infinite Cosmos Is Calling You, You, You Volume 1 ...